


but we sure know how to run free

by minecraftbreadmode



Category: MC:SM, Minecraft (Video Game), Minecraft: Story Mode - Fandom
Genre: Fluff, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, beach, lukas is Big Gay, takes place before episode 7 and after episode 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-28 00:35:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19801048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minecraftbreadmode/pseuds/minecraftbreadmode
Summary: The Portal Hallway is a nightmare Lukas never dreamed of having. It's confusing and scary and he knows Jesse is having a hard time coping with it all, so he decides to take a small break. Just the two of them.Beaches are now going to have a special place in Lukas' heart.





	but we sure know how to run free

"IVOR!" Petra's voice echoed down the Portal Hallway.

Snow covered her hair and dusted her shoulders in white powder. From Lukas' vantage point behind her he saw the whole thing go down: Ivor scoop up a handful of snow that had blown out from the portal as they passed through it and toss it at Petra.

He hadn't even thought about warning her; Petra's attitude hadn't been exactly happy-go-lucky the past week as they continuously failed to find the portal home, and it weighed heavily on the group's shoulders.

There'd been several skirmishes between her and Jesse, and they hadn't been anywhere near pretty-- yelling when Jesse finally got riled up and cursing and pointing fingers and insults deep rooted in insecurities. Jesse and Petra, as good of friends as they were, got under each other's skin like the opposite ends of a magnet and when they clashed it was terrible to watch. Lukas was forced to sit back and watch because there was nothing he could do, neither one would listen to him at that point, no matter how much he wanted to take Jesse's side.

He sighed, closing his journal and sticking it back in his jacket pocket along with his pen.

Speaking of Jesse. . .

Lukas glanced behind him. Jesse was lagging behind, staring at the floor and letting his feet drag. Lukas glanced back at Ivor and Petra shouting at each other and throwing bits of melting snow in the other's face.

He made his choice.

"Hey, you doing alright?"

Jesse ran a hand through his unruly hair, looking at Lukas from beneath his bangs. "I'm okay," he said firmly. "Just tired, is all."

Lukas had seen him break down when he thought the others weren't looking, sit by himself, go for walks rubbing his eyes and wake up with eyes alight with fear. He was the team leader-- everything fell on him whether he wanted it to or not, and Lukas knew for a fact he blamed himself for many of the events that had befallen them while traveling through portals. He wasn't convinced Jesse was okay.

He scooted a little closer so Petra and Ivor wouldn't hear them, although with how loud they were screaming at each other he doubted they would hear a Witherstorm sneak up on them. Lukas put a hand on his shoulder. "Please talk to me. You know I'm here for you."

Jesse gave him a soft smile. "I know, Lukas. But this is all stuff you shouldn't be worried about, you and Petra and Ivor have enough on your plates already. You don't need me adding to it, I can handle myself."

Can you?

"If you keep stuffing everything inside it's going to crush you at some point."

Jesse's smile faltered. "I know. But it's better than you guys being crushed."

Lukas gestured to Petra and Ivor trying to wrestle each other to the floor. "Jesse-- me, Ivor, Petra-- we're not fragile. We've all seen horrifying things at this point and, as a team, we share things so none of us get crushed. Don't you trust us?"

"Of course I do, I'd trust you guys with my life--" 

"Then talk to us, please. We can't help you if we don't know what's going on." Lukas stopped walking and held his arms. "I-- we care a lot about you, and none of us want to see you suffer like this."

Jesse broke down.

It wasn't crying, exactly, but he was shaking and rubbing his face with one hand and was breathing too fast and Lukas didn't know what to do. "I'm sorry I'm so upset-- I'm not supposed to be upset-- I'm just scared and stressed-out and so many things are my fault and everything haunts me, you know? I can't go one day without remembering all the dead faces in the Witherstorm and Cassie's mansion--"

Lukas hugged him, wrapping both arms around his shoulders and resting his chin on top of his head. Jesse leaned into it, letting out a shaky sigh. "I'm sorry. I'm just stressed. Haven't been sleeping much."

"I didn't think so," Lukas mumbled.

He needed to get Jesse away from there-- take him anywhere else. Anywhere just to stop seeing him so somber. "Do you want to run away for a little bit?"

Jesse blinked. He didn't seem entirely opposed to the idea. "Run-- where would we go? Petra and Ivor--"

"Will be fine without us. You need a break, just for a day or two." Lukas already had the perfect place in mind.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Lukas snorted. "I think that's the first time you've ever asked that question before."

Jesse pushed him, but he was laughing.

Lukas cupped his hands around his mouth as they continued to walk forwards. "Petra! Ivor! We're splitting up!"

Ivor yelled back, not bothering to move closer. He shook wet snow off his hands and robe. "ABSOLUTELY NOT, WHY WOULD YOU EVER--"

Lukas tried to come up with a good excuse that didn't reveal everything about Jesse's feelings-- not that Petra and Ivor didn't know however; Jesse wore his heart on his sleeve and was as easy to read as an open book. "I think it would be a good idea if we split up just this once, like a team building exercise to help us trust each other better-- besides, it would help us cover more ground."

Ivor swore, gesturing wildly. "No company but Kicker here for possibly a few days?! No, that's out of the question--"

Petra's dark eyes flitted between him and Jesse, then she elbowed Ivor in the ribs, hard, making him shut up. "Actually, I think that's a great idea, Lukas. Maybe, if we're lucky, we can sit down and talk, get a little of this stress off our shoulders." She prodded Ivor, who was slowly comprehending it all, towards the nearest portal: a purple one that sparked and popped like an electrical storm.

Petra grinned. "This looks fun. Let's go, you grump." She pushed Ivor through, saluted to Jesse and Lukas. "See you two in a bit, meet back here?"

"Yup. Good luck."

Petra rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'll need it." She jumped through and was gone.

Once Lukas was sure the pair was completely on the other side he took Jesse's arm and began pulling him to a portal the group had recently visited-- Lukas was diligent about tracking which ones they'd been through and important details about them, drawing an ever-increasing map of portals in his notebook to get a better understanding of the questions he had for that place.

Jesse's hand slid from his arm to Lukas' own somewhere along the way. Their fingers intertwined.

Lukas said nothing but felt his face grow hot, leading Jesse down the hall they'd been stuck in for weeks until he found what he wanted.

The portal was blue, green stones inlaid into the surrounding material-- lapis? Lukas couldn't tell for sure.

Jesse shrugged, then ran through the swirling mess of teal. Lukas scrambled to catch up with him. It was disorienting as usual, traveling between worlds, but after doing it so many times Lukas no longer felt sick when he appeared on the other side.

He relaxed, glad he remembered the right one. A sandy beach stretched for miles, the water clear and glittering blue under the two parallel stars that lit up the world. Lukas could already see the trail they'd hacked in the thicket of low trees and shrubs that stood opposite from the sea. A few deer-looking animals with two long tails disappeared into the brush as they spotted Jesse just throwing himself into the sand, laughing. Small dunes in the distance gave way to a semi-green desert, plateaus, and small mountains.

Lukas walked over. It was so good to see him happy, to see him carefree. Jesse was a normally upbeat person, but it was clear the worry of never being able to go home sat heavy on his chest too. After Cassie's mansion he'd become a little more high-strung and anxious, and it had only increased as the countless days wore on.

"You like it?"

Jesse closed his eyes and took in the salty air. "I fucking love it. I thought we'd be going to that world with all the flowers--"

Lukas cursed. That was a good world, too. But Jesse seemed ecstatic with the current one, and Lukas felt he'd made the right choice. He sat next to Jesse in the sand, rolling the tenseness out of his neck and back.

"Thanks for bringing me here," Jesse said, tilting his head back and grinning.

Lukas turned his head towards the endless sea, partly so he wouldn't blush when he looked at Jesse and partly because it was so beautiful-- well, both the world and Jesse, he supposed. The ocean gently roared in his ears, peaceful and lulling his heartbeat into a slow pace.

"You deserve a break, Jesse," Lukas traced patterns in the sand with the tip of his finger. "You deserve pretty much everything at this point, honestly."

"Pfft, yeah right."

"I mean it."

Jesse averted his eyes. "I know. Even if I don't think so, it's nice to hear."

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, watching seabirds fly overhead. It was becoming hot, and the sand burned Lukas' palms a little. The ocean was cool and going for a swim was tempting.

Jesse apparently had the same thought process. He quickly stood up and began to undo the straps and buckles on Adamantine Impervium.

"What--"

"Last one to the sea has to wake up Petra." Jesse gave his signature shit-eating grin.

Lukas fumbled to take off his armored jacket, the guards on his legs, and his boots but Jesse was already running. "Hey! Not fair!" As soon as Lukas was back in his regular orange shirt and gray pants (which he rolled up even though he knew they were going to be soaked) he dashed after Jesse, just ditching all caution and throwing himself head-on into the waves. Jesse was short but he moved like lightning.

"Unfair," Lukas complained once he reached him, planning to set an arm on Jesse but he moved and Lukas fell into the shallows. He sputtered and coughed, standing and running after him, feet kicking up water with every step. Jesse only chuckled and ran faster, occasionally turning to flick water at him.

The sand was soft under Lukas' bare feet and Jesse's loose white button up fluttered with the wind and everything felt alive. It couldn't get any better.

Not when Jesse was grabbing his hand and they were so close, so close, drawing each other's names in the sand and following footprints the waves washed away and not worrying about whether they would live to see tomorrow.

They chased each other and ran and ran like wild young foals until the light began to fade from the sky.

At some point Lukas fell and landed where the ocean was up to his waist, the breeze plucking at his wet hair. Jesse laughed and grinned, leaning over and offering a hand to help him up and they were close. Lukas stared up at him halfway standing, mesmerized.

Jesse was drenched in water, hair even curlier than usual, freckles standing out in the slight flush of his face from running, water drops on his dark eyelashes. With the twin stars laying a soft yellow-orange light on the sea and land Jesse was truly the sun, bright and smiling and the absolute center of Lukas' world.

The light of his life.

 _Oh_.

Lukas stayed like that for a moment, between kneeling and standing with Jesse above him, their hands clasped. He could count the scars on Jesse's fingers.

His eyes searched Jesse's face. "I. . Jesse. . ."

It felt as though every moment, every second of heartache ever since falling for him during the Witherstorm adventure, every side glance and shoulder brush and interlocked hands and every sentence said had led up to this.

"You don't have to say anything," Jesse whispered. He released Lukas' hand to cup his face in both of his own, running his thumbs under his blue eyes before kissing him, hard. Lukas lost his balance and Jesse followed him down, down, on his knees on the sand with the waves tenderly lapping at their sides. Lukas wrapped his arms around Jesse's neck and slid searching fingers into his curls.

Jesse parted from him with a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth.

"I love you." Lukas' voice cracked.

"I knew-- I knew it was guys but you were always--"

Jesse gave him a lopsided smile. "I know," he said softly. "I didn't think of it until now, but I know." He kissed Lukas' palm and brought their mouths together again.

His kisses were salty but gentle and they promised something concrete, something real and tangible. Lukas' heart fluttered like a moth and he mumbled "I love you's" and Jesse laughed against his mouth, warm and comforting. 

Lukas found himself walking along the shore with him, hand in hand as the sun set, making patterns with their footprints and watching the tide wash them away.

Lukas knew that nothing was permanent, but he would make the best out of every moment he had with Jesse before their time ran out. Before it was taken from them, like so many other things.

Jesse faced him. Half of his face was highlighted in gold, contrasting with the deep dark green of his eyes, light reflecting off his hair and turning it copper.

 _The sun_. 

"I love you too."

Lukas smiled. "I know."


End file.
